404 404 Bowyers
The senior officer gave John a wink. “Just give it time. They’re happy to use them against the Grand Dutchies when they step out of line, and I think we can work a level of mutual defence into the agreement should one of us be attacked.”
ραΠdαsΝοvel.cοm Ella smiled back. “You would be amazed what a small team with magical weapons can accomplish. As I said, we have magical airplanes now so that we can respond within hours instead of days, and a strike team with flying staves and magic-enhanced automatic rifles is more than a match for an artillery battalion.”
The soldiers stared at her with a healthy dose of shock and skepticism before Wolfe clarified.
“I didn’t use anything but defensive magic to break the siege at the Auction House. The first part was entirely from the enchanted weapons, and any level of magic user could use them that way.
All of the Witches in our village are incredibly powerful thanks to our training regimen, so they’re all capable of using the weapons and could have done the same thing as I did. I believe that John here gave you a proper description of how well the Grand Dutchies forces did in their attempts to ambush me.”
The soldiers quietly conferred with each other, and Wolfe realized that the silent man was not part of the local command structure but a visitor from military intelligence who had flown in specifically for this hydroponic project from a base somewhere in the swamps. As the food was for the military, the project was of a sensitive nature, and they wanted the oversight to make sure there wasn’t anything questionable going on with their food supply.
“We can agree to a mutual defence and nonaggression pact, as well as a free trade agreement.” The military leader agreed after their conversation.
“Perfect. I know that agreements don’t mean much to some people, but once we have enough of the same agreements signed with the villages in the area, everyone will understand how we operate and when someone has stepped over the line.” Wolfe replied happily.
The man from Military Intelligence smiled as he began to understand. The identical agreements that Wolfe was offering the villages weren’t only for the sake of trade agreements since he didn’t really need them with the whole of the Frozen Wastes to buy their goods.
No, in the officer’s mind, Wolfe’s true purpose was to pressure others not to step in if someone did attack him. Given the confidential information he had access to, including aerial footage of multiple battles between Wolfe and the Grand Dutchies reinforcements, he had already known that the Demon was a one-man army and that a simple farming village wouldn’t even last a minute in combat against him.
“Now for the important part. There is always a give and take to set the agreement. What would you like as a show of good faith?” Wolfe asked.
“I think that the Garden Charms are a given so that our food production can keep up.” The Elder in charge of the village suggested.
Most of what they wanted to do revolved around those hydroponic towers, so that was obvious but not a difficult request to make.
One of the young witches in the back of the room with Christa and Justine handed her a note, and the old woman smiled.
“I would also like to ask for the sort of Barrier Array and upgraded bows that you provided to the Coven forces at the camps on the front lines this winter.” She added as she read the note.
The young witch looked smug, and Wolfe gave her a wink that made her blush bright red. She must have been on the front lines if she had seen his camp in action. So, she would either be a witch from Sylvan Coven or a messenger who had passed by during one of the battles and had seen the upgraded barriers in action.
Of course, it was also possible that she was only thinking fast and had heard a rumour from one of the refugees who had passed by or had come to the village. But there was a very limited number of people who would have known that Wolfe was the one who upgraded the defences of the military camp.
“That’s a reasonable request. I can make a very strong and efficient barrier for the village since you are erecting the hydroponic towers intermingled with the houses and not in a separate field outside town.
That might make the Garden Charm a bit more difficult, but I think that we can work out something.”
Their fields in the underground gardens were larger than this little village, so there wouldn’t actually be an issue for Ella to create a charm that covered the entire village, even if Wolfe made it sound like the request was a difficult one.
“And about the upgraded weapons?” The Elder asked hopefully.
“Bring me swords and bows. I will enchant them to a better standard that will deal with Rank Two Beasts if your village should be attacked. That’s enough to ensure general safety but not enough to be considered a betrayal or selling military equipment by the other residents of the Frozen Wastes.” Wolfe agreed.
The assistants sent out a batch of texts, and Wolfe’s [Detect Hidden] could see through the walls to the people who had begun running around the village to fill their orders.
That would be ready in a moment, and Wolfe could see that there was already a crowd of people he had brought here on the bus waiting to see them outside. He would have to stop and talk to them before they could finish the charms around the village.
“The weapons will be arranged in the next few minutes, but the last of the hydroponics towers won’t be finished for a few more days. How flexible is the Garden Charm that Miss Ella is planning to cast?” The senior officer asked.
“It is an area effect and will do its best to maintain the state that is optimal to the growth of the plants under its effect. That might mess with your hydroponic system a bit, but if you ignore any unexpected results as long as the plants are growing the way they should be, then it shouldn’t matter even if you take them down and rebuild them with every harvest.” Ella explained.
The soldier let out a sigh of relief and extended his hand to shake hers.
“It has been a pleasure to meet you. Should we put signatures on paper and make this official?”